To Love a Malfoy
by lil-spitfire
Summary: Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine, but not because of fear, because of pleasure.
1. Chapter 1: Daydreaming

~To Love a Malfoy~  
  
Chapter 1: Daydreaming  
  
Hermione's eyes once again flicked to Draco. Lately Hermione had been thinking a lot about Draco. Why? Even she didn't know. Oblivious to her surroundings she continued to stare at Malfoy. Harry and Ron were in a world of their own talking, of course, about quidditch and didn't even notice that Hermione was just sitting there stirring her cereal idly.  
  
"Why am I so obsessed with Malfoy?" Hermione thought, "He's just an idiotic, mean, arrogant ferret boy who only cares about himself!"  
  
Hermione's mind pondered about Draco while her eyes focused on him.  
  
Meanwhile at the Slytherin table, Draco was watching Crabbe and Goyle disgustedly. They were having a competition to see who could eat the most porridge in 3 minutes. Crabbe had most of his food on his face than anywhere else and Goyle, who had chocked earlier, ended up coughing up porridge, which narrowly missed Draco. Edging slowly away from his bodyguards, he became aware of a pair of eyes watching him. Draco realized that it was Hermione. He stared right back to intimidate her, but Hermione didn't seem to notice. She had a far way look in her eyes and was dead to everything around her.  
  
"What's up with Granger? I know I'm hot, but this is just weird." Draco smirked to himself. He noticed that Hermione was by herself.  
  
"Wonder where the rest of the golden trio is?" Draco waved at Hermione to snap her out of her trance. Hermione suddenly became aware that Draco knew she had been watching him. Her eyes widen in shock and horror. Draco smiled menacingly and mouthed "Mudblood". Hermione glared annoyedly at Draco and turned to face Harry and Ron. but they weren't there!  
  
"And they leave without telling me! Great!" She mumbled angrily. Grabbing her books, Hermione rushed off to her 1st lesson of the day, History of Magic.  
  
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Hermione stepped inside Professor Binns' classroom just in the nick of time. "Look what thinking stupid meaningless thoughts about Malfoy did!" Hermione scolded herself, "I was almost late for class! Honestly, snap out of it Hermione!" She slid into the seat next to Harry, which he had been saving for her. Hermione grumpily slammed her history books down onto the desk and turned to Harry and Ron with a scowl on her face.  
  
"Why did you two leave me all by myself in the great hall?!" Hermione snapped, "You didn't even tell me you were going!!"  
  
"But Hermione, we did tell you." Ron started.  
  
"Don't lie to me Ronald Weasley!"  
  
"We did tell you," Harry explained," but you were off in a world of your own. All you did was nod your head and mumble 'Yeah, sure.'"  
  
"Oh and that reminds me," Ron grinned, "You promised me at breakfast that you would do my homework for the rest of the month. I have a potions essay due in 3 days so you'd better get started on that. Remember that it has to be -"  
  
"I will do not such thing!" Hermione cut in, "and like Harry said, I was in a daze."  
  
"Oh well, at least I tried." Ron shrugged uncaringly.  
  
Harry poked Hermione, "So what were you thinking about?"  
  
Hermione reddened but quickly regained her composure. "If you must know, I was thinking about my homework."  
  
"Liar." Ron smiled, "You were daydreaming and had a goofy look on your face."  
  
Harry nodded in agreement," Yeah Hermione, what were you thinking about?"  
  
Ron leaned in closer so he could hear Hermione's answer clearly.  
  
"Well, I was just. I was thinking about.erm." Hermione was extremely nervous. She didn't want Harry and Ron to know that she was daydreaming about someone, and Malfoy of all people! Hermione's brow furrowed into a frown, "My thoughts are my business."  
  
And before Harry and Ron could try and pry any more information out of Hermione, Professor Binns floated into the classroom and started the lesson, which Hermione was really grateful for.  
  
  
  
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Okay.this is my first fanfic ever, so please please please review. What ever you have to say, say it, whether it be a compliment or a flame. I welcome flames, I need help with my writing and I would really love to hear from you. Oh, and I need some help rating this fic, so if you could please give me your opinion I would really appreciate it. Thanks! 


	2. Chapter 2: Enchanted Evening

*~* To Love a Malfoy*~*  
  
Chapter 2: Enchanted Evening  
  
Professor Binns droned on in his monotone voice about another Goblin Rebellion, "Goblin Rebellions! There must be millions of them." Ron complained loud enough for Hermione and Harry to hear. Harry simply nodded in agreement and turned his head back to the window, where he had been watching Hagrid teaching some 6th year students. It was quite amusing to watch them flee in terror away from Hagrid's "so-called-cuddly" beasts. Some had even taken cover in Hagrid's hut along with Fang, who was yelping with fear.  
  
Hermione on the other hand, was trying hard to concentrate, she really was, but she found it too difficult. She was lazily resting her head on her arms, attempting to decipher what the ghost teacher was telling them, but all her brain could make out was "Blah blah blah Goblin Rebellion blah blah uprising. . . blah blah cowering blah."  
  
So far Hermione had resisted the temptation to stop listening and to just fall asleep right there and now. But her will power was failing her, and it didn't really help that she had stayed up half the night adding the finishing touches to her potions essay.  
  
Hermione had closed her eyes momentarily to rest them, but before she knew what was happening, she dozed off into a peaceful slumber.  
  
*~* Dream *~*  
  
Hermione was walking slowly down a dark deserted corridor. Immediately she noticed that there were hundreds of candles on the windowsills, each and every one with wax dribbling down the side. It had sort of a romantic feel. It was then that Hermione noticed the red and white rose petals that had been sprinkled delicately on the floor. Hermione's warm brown eyes were busy surveying the scene in front of her that she hardly took a second glance at the paintings on the wall, that were of past lovers, each couple wooing and flirting with each other. As the giggling from the portraits filled the silence, Hermione spotted a window seat at the end of the hall, bathed in moonlight. She approached the seat, which was covered in rose petals and surrounded by a few candles here and there. The seat was so inviting, Hermione couldn't resist and sat down, staring at the pale moon above. Hermione was absorbed in the view, the stars reflection in the lake twinkling gently. This was perfect, all she need now was. . . "Beautiful isn't it." Hermione felt a hand on her shoulder. A shiver ran down her spine, but not because of fear, because of pleasure. A grin appeared on her face as the mysterious stranger began to tenderly kiss the base of her neck. At first Hermione gasped, but did not pull away, because she quickly realized that she quite enjoyed the tingly feeling when his lips met her skin. He was slowly working hid way upward, savoring each and every time his lips gently caressed her warm, soft skin. Inhaling her heavenly scent, and the lush taste of her skin was almost too much to bear, it was driving his senses wild. But he kept calm and continued teasing Hermione, enjoying every second. When he stopped, he satisfactory smiled when he heard Hermione emit a noise full of distaste, unhappy that he had stopped. Hermione turned around to face her mystery man. The soft glow of candles illuminating his handsome features. The moment couldn't have been more perfect. Hermione stood up and gazed into his eyes. She was about to say something, but he stopped her simply by placing is forefinger on her lips. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. The moment their lips met, Hermione's body automatically reacted, knowing what it wanted. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while she returned his sweet, sweet kiss. His tongue flicked out of his mouth, running it teasingly along her bottom lip. He placed an arm her waist and pulled her closer to his body. His tongue snaked out of his mouth and into hers, sampling her delights. Their tongues intertwined in an intimate kiss, their spit becoming one. Hermione matched his fiery passion with her own, turning their kiss into a lustful, excitable encounter. As his tongue massaged hers she let out an unmistakable moan of pleasure. He pulled back to admire her beautiful face, and when he did, his smirk was visible in the dim light. His platinum blonde hair, slightly tousled in the fit of passion, caught the light and looked like he was wearing a halo. He swooned down once more and planted a quick kiss on her lips, which was enjoyable nonetheless. Hermione once again moaned deeply, calling his name,  
  
"Oh. . .oh Draco. . . Draco."  
  
"Hermione!" She felt a pain in her left upper arm. Her eyes fluttered open, but instead of seeing the pale moonlight reflecting off her sweet lovers face, she saw Harry!  
  
"What?!" Hermione snapped, angry that she had been disturbed.  
  
"We can all hear you. . ." Harry whispered.  
  
"Hear me? I haven't been saying anyth. . ." Hermione's voice trailed off, realizing what he ment. She clapped a hand over her mouth and she blushed as red as Ron's hair. It was then she noticed that everyone's eyes where on her, even Professor Binns had stopped reading aloud and was staring at her. Hermione took in deep breaths, trying to calm down.  
  
"This can't be happening! Tell me this isn't happening!" Hermione's mind was in hysterics. She just stared blankly around the room, seeing Harry's nervous face, Ron's mouth hanging open in shock, and almost everyone with eyes as wide as saucers. Then it started. In the corner of the room there was muffled laughter. Then Lavender and her group of friends erupted in a fit of giggles. In no time at all, the whole class was on the verge of tears because they were laughing so hard, all except from Ron and Harry. Harry was just sitting there, hardly believing what he had just heard, while Ron was staring at her, his sparkling blue eyes filled with hurt and confusion. She couldn't take it anymore. Hermione swiftly picked up her books and rushed out of the door, just as the bell rang. She quickly weaved in and out of the other pupils, hoping that she was invisible, that the world would just swallow her up. Just up ahead was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, which Hermione made a mad dash for. When she reached the safety of the toilet she flung her bag and books into the corner and grabbed the sides of the sink for support.  
  
"This can't be happening!" Hermione babbled. She turned on the cold water and let it run, the sound soothing her.  
  
"This can't be happening. . . This can't be happening. . ." Hermione muttered to herself.  
  
She cupped her hands together, allowing the cool water to flow into her hands. Splashing the water onto her face, Hermione tried to make sense of the situation she was in.  
  
"Well it's not that big of a deal. I mean, I just moaned Malfoy's name out in pleasure in front of the whole class." She assured herself. "It's just the end of the world!" She wailed.  
  
"Now now, it technically wasn't my fault. I didn't know it was Malfoy. . . at first."  
  
"Ah yes, but when you realized it him you continued anyway." Her mind countered.  
  
"I was caught up in the moment. And besides, it was just a dream!" She wiped her face with a nearby paper towel and leaned her back against the nearest wall. Hermione slid down the wall and buried her face into her hands, "Stupid Malfoy!"  
  
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Sorry about it taking so long to update.heh, I got kinda bored while I was writing on the bus and started to write backwards, and I had to decipher some of that :D and cause I was lazy I guess :D I've written up most of my 3rd chapter, and I'm going skiing for a week and I'll be able to write some more then hopefully. And now to thank my lovely reviewers..I think it's better giving ya'll some personal notes, cause I love it when other authors do that :D And I just wanna say, I was checking my e-mail a day letter and found out that I had 8 whole reviews I was really happy and excited that I started to jump up and down madly and whacked my hand against the ceiling..weird part it that I can't usually reach the ceiling :D  
  
Loralie: Ah, my first reviewer. I want to thank you very much for saying that I'm a natural born writer, which made me really happy :) My friend (u know who u r) laughed when she saw your review cause what you said about me..she's just jealous that I got more reviews than her :P I'll stop with the bragging now :D  
  
Mistress fire: I love the name. Sorry I didn't continue that soon, but at least it's here, hope you still like where it's going :D  
  
iceprincess22: I would love to here everything you have got to say about my story. Pointers are welcome, that's why I'm posting it, to improve my writing :D ALL POINTERS AND ADVICE IS WELCOME!  
  
AzNgUrLy07: Draco stories are great aren't they? I gotta admit that he's cute (but for the record.Pippin a.k.a. Billy Boyd is the finest of them all ;) I just love him to bits)). But Tom Felton looks a lot better as Draco with his hair gelled back.otherwise he looks kinda funny..No offence to Tom Felton Lovers.  
  
FoXyRoXiE: Thank you very much for your review, I really appreciate it :D Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)  
  
kiki-0303: Finally here is the update :D And to find out how Malfoy reacts.well your just gonna have to wait for the 3rd chapter ;)  
  
Angelgirl1: Glad your satisfied. A review of few words, but gets straight to the point. Thanks for reviewing :D  
  
johanna(lanjelin_lover here) : Thanks for liking my story. If they are ever out of character or you don't think that they should act how I write they should, just tell me and I'll change it :) I'll try hard to keep them all in character :D Oh and my middle name's Joanna, just thought I'd say that.  
  
cranberry_apples: moi? Write similarly to J.K. Rowling?..hehe, I'm flattered. My friend (yes, it's u again, and u know who u r!), laughed when she saw this, she's just jealous that's all :D I poked her really hard for laughing at me, and I tripped her up today as well :D Trust me she deserved it :D HA! Thanks a bunch for your review.  
  
Starfruit: Thanks for reviewing :D I guess annoyedly isn't a word. I should change it to: with annoyance. But you all know what I mean anyway :P  
  
A big massive hug to all my reviews cause I'm in such a happy mood, and a big slice of cheese. Mmm.. I love cheese :D And if you've read this far, well, good for you and thanx. And a last note, if anyone knows how to work that HTML thing, could ya help me a little? Oh and the whole "tongues intertwining" an "their spit became one" I said that when I was asking weird questions an I just had to put it in there. OH and please tell me what you think of the whole kissy scene, I really want your opinion on that. 


	3. Chapter 3: The Dragon Speaks

*~*To Love a Malfoy*~*  
  
Chapter 3: The Dragon Speaks  
  
Hermione stayed in the bathroom for hours. She was too ashamed to go out and face anyone. If she had moaned out anyone else's name she would have returned by lunchtime and acted as if it never happened, maybe even joke about it but no, it just had to be Malfoy's name she whispered, her voice full of lust and pleasure.  
  
Checking her watch, Hermione realized that everyone would be at dinner, so she thought it was safe to leave her hideaway. As she hurried down the lonely corridors, the pitter-patter of her feet was the only sound she heard. Making her way swiftly past the Great Hall, she heard laughter. Deciding to take a peek, Hermione tiptoed to the ajar door, which wasn't really necessary because the pupils excited chatter filled the air. Hermione saw that most of the Gryffindor table was laughing, "Probably about me!" She assumed with a frown. She turned her back on the Great Hall and strode off, heading towards the kitchens.  
  
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"That pair of brown eyes. . .I would know them anywhere." And with that, he left the table and followed after her.  
  
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"Cheese, beans, chocolate," Hermione was looking at the paintings, "Ahh fruit!" Hermione stood on her tiptoes and reached with her forefinger to tickle the pear. With a giggle, the pear transformed into a doorknob. Hermione placed her hand on the doorknob and turned. When she pulled the door back, it revealed the kitchen full of busy house elfs. Although Hermione disapproved of house elf slavery, she was really hungry, her rumbling stomach confirming so. Stepping into the kitchens and closing the painting behind her, Hermione surveyed the busy scene in front of her and thought of returning later when it wasn't so hectic. But as she faced the door she heard a high-pitched voice calling her, "Miss! Miss!" Hermione turned around and looked down. It was Dobby.  
  
"What is you doings here? Why is Miss nots at dinner?"  
  
"Oh. . . " Hermione began to fiddle with a strand of her hair, "I didn't feel like eating with the others."  
  
This answer must have satisfied Dobby because he grabbed her hand and began to pull Hermione towards a quiet corner of the kitchen, which contained a small table and a few chairs. Dobby, being the gentleman that he was, pulled out a chair for Hermione. Thanking the polite house elf, Hermione seated herself and turned to speak to Dobby, but he wasn't there. As she began to ponder where he had gone, he returned carrying a tray giving off mouth-watering aromas. Dobby placed the tray in front of Hermione, gave a small bow, squeaked "Bon Appetite", and joined his fellow house elfs in cleaning the kitchen. Hermione examined the tray. On the tray the sparkling silver cutlery was arranged neatly around the patterned china plate, it was a simple yet beautiful design. Upon the plate was golden brown roast potatoes, grilled steak, and green beans cooked to perfection. As she hungrily eyes the food before her, she noticed the silver goblet filled to the brim with butterbeer and the vase, which contained a single red rose. A smile appeared on Hermione's face, and thoughts of "The Unfortunate Incident", which she now referred it as, completely vanished and the feeling of happiness swept over her. Picking up the knife and fork, Hermione tucked into her meal joyfully, which she deserved through all the torture she had been through that day.  
  
After the delicious meal, Hermione thanked the house elfs and made a mental note to get Dobby a very nice, extra special pair of socks from Christmas. Bidding everyone farewell, she stepped out of the Hogwarts kitchens, twirling the rose between her fingers. Hermione decided to walk the long way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom because she had left her bag and books there. She walked slowly down the dark, deserted corridor, the moonlight filtering in through the windows, it being the only source of light. Hermione approached a bend in the hallway. She walked towards the corner, the big windows there allowing in large amounts of pale moonlight. She stared up at the big whitish-grey orb in the heavens. Hermione brought the rose upwards towards her nose and sniffed at the wonderful flower's scent. At that moment a figure stepped out of the shadows, the dim light from the moon illuminating him.  
  
"Hello Granger."  
  
Hermione, startled because she believed she was alone, grasped a bit too tightly onto the rose, sending a few petals dancing to the floor, "Oh Draco." Hermione stuttered unintentionally from shock. The smirk on his face grew bigger. Still leaning coolly against the wall, with his arms folded across his chest he said "Ah, so I finally get to hear it from your lips." Hermione, who had been fiddling with the rose, accidentally ripped out a few more rose petals at his last statement. She allowed them to slip through her fingers to the floor.  
  
"Who told you?" Hermione asked a bit too quickly. Too cover up for her mistake she laughed nervously, "Who told you such a pack of lies?"  
  
Draco stepped away from the wall and towards Hermione. His icey blue eyes making contact with Hermione's brown ones.  
  
"No use lying to me Granger. Word travels fast around this place, so I know the truth."  
  
He narrowed the gap between them, his face inches away from hers. All of a sudden Hermione realized this was almost exactly like her dream! The moonlight, the rose petals, Draco. . . it all added up. Hermione froze and just gazed back at Draco.  
  
"You know, girls moaning out my name is a common occurrence, but this is difference. A Gryffindor of all people, and especially a friend of Potter's." Draco's smirk returned to his pale face, "I'm quite surprised," His smirk growing in size, "I didn't know you had any taste Granger."  
  
But instead of seeing Hermione's face go red with anger and annoyance, it went pale with shock.  
  
"Calm down Granger," Draco mocked, "I know that it's quite a shock that I, Draco Malfoy, complimented you, the mudblood, not even worthy to be in my presence."  
  
But once again he was unsatisfied. All Hermione did was squeak a few incoherent words and pointed behind Draco, her arm shaking, shaking with fear.  
  
"I wasn't born yesterday Granger. Now quit fooling around, people might think we're up to something." Only know did he realize how romantic it looked, but the thought of him and that mudblood sharing anything, let alone a romantic moment, made him chuckle. Sharing the same air was bad enough.  
  
"Now if you excuse me." Draco made to step backwards, but Hermione grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him towards her. Hermione overestimated her strength in this situation and pulled him with such force that Draco slammed into her, sending them both flying. With a *THUD* Hermione landed on the window seat with Draco on top of her.  
  
"Easy tiger." Draco teased, "I expect dinner and a movie first." ((Do they even have movies? Oh well who cares))  
  
Hermione gripped Draco's arm, her nails digging into his skin, her other hand she used to roughly force Draco's head sideways.  
  
"Hey watch the hair! Do you know how much time it takes to look this good, but of course almost all of it is natural hotness." Draco was struggling, slightly annoyed that his hair was messed up.  
  
". . .Look. . ." Hermione managed to choke out. And so Draco did. His eyes widened. Now he finally understood why Hermione had been babbling nonsense, why she had turned pale, and why she was shaking. In the darkness there was the silhouette of a gigantic creature. It's fangs gleaming in the moonlight, it's saliva oozing out of its mouth, running slowly down its razor sharp pincers, eagerly awaiting its prey.  
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And that's the end of chapter 3. I know the whole suspense thing is kinda crap, but oh well. I gotta say that my favourite part has to be when Draco says "Easy Tiger. I expect dinner and a movie first." Just to tell you even though you probably don't care, I had a fantastic skiing holiday, heh, I got sunburned on the first days! My face is tanned now and people notice..it's funny. I wrote quite a bit on the bus.perhaps reviews will encourage me to type faster *hint hint* My mum's mad at me cause I spent hours on here typing instead of practising piano. She's threatened to limit my Internet to 1 hour a day. HOW WILL I SURVIVE!!! And now onto the chapter 2 reviews:  
  
LP Draconis: You have got to be one of my favourite reviews! I love to be complimented *grins* I'm glad that you think I'm a great writer. And the kissing scene, did it sounds realistic to you? Thanks for reviewing :D  
  
peaceoutgrl/me : Thanks for the reviews. Mmm. . .Descriptive words. Nasty, but nice sounds cool.  
  
Megan525g: I'll try and update sooner. I gotta practise piano, do my homework, and be a lazy bum. It's such hard work :) But I will try really hard to get my next chapter out sooner. I've almost complited the next chapter.  
  
Hatokirei: Yay you think I have a great story! A piece of cheese for you. A piece of cheese for everyone reviewed, maybe except Mary Sue Hunter, who'll I'll get to in a minute. Thanks for the review *hugs*  
  
FoXyRoXiE: You are another one of my favourite reviewers. And I had a great time skiing. It kicked butt! Thanks for liking my dream scene. It was kinda a bit hard for me, but I think it's a good part of the story. And hopefully this will be a good story. . . HOPEFULLY  
  
kiki-0303: I wasn't really sure if the Gryff's and the Slytherins's had History together, but in my story they're don't have history together. So I apologize if they do, but not in my story, just to clear that up.  
  
Mary Sue Hunter: Now you, first of all, I can accept criticism. . . but not too well, especially the way you put it. Second, Hermione is not a slut. How can that be slutty? It was a freakin Dream! Don't we all have those kinda dreams and fantasies? And you don't know that Hermione doesn't act like that, this is my story and I'll make her act however I damn well want to. And you don't know that she doesn't dream about Malfoy. In this story she did.. it's a HERM/DRACO for goodness sake! I remember I got a crush on a guy I used to hate, it was weird, but it happened. Oh, *smiles sweetly* thanks for the review.  
  
Max: I really like that =) face, I'm gonna have to use that. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try and update sooner. Thanks a billion for the review.  
  
HHGGDDMM: Here's the next chapter, and hopefully I will have chapter 4 out soon too. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
retro44765: "Chill. Relax. If I have a spliff I'd let you smoke it man" Quote from my dad's friend. It's only in the first few chapters. Good things come to those who wait Grasshopper.  
  
Sssssalazar: I like the name. Thanks a lot for the review, here, have a slice on cheese. I love cheese.  
  
water demon : GEMMA! More is coming. Hanky-Panky, I'll see what I can do ;) but I'll need your help. Thanks for reviewing. More reviews! YAY! Have some baked Bean crisps! 


	4. Chapter 4: Spawn of Aragog

*~* To Love a Malfoy*~*  
  
Chapter 4: Spawn of Aragog  
  
Draco and Hermione stayed motionless gawging at the beast in the shadow. It slowly edged closer, enjoying the teenagers fear increasing with each step it took. It seemed like hours before Hermione's brain began to work again. Reacting quickly, she pushed Draco off of her, so they both were standing. Draco was still open-mouthed, his eyes glued to the monster. Hermione ran. She had taken about 15 strides or so when she realized that Draco wasn't behind her. Hermione stopped suddenly and swung her head around. There, standing pertrified, was Draco and only a few feet away was the creature, thirsty for blood. Hermione watched hopelessly as the beast closed in on Draco. Without giving it a second thought Hermione began to sprint back to Draco. As she neared him, she stretched out her arm, ready to grab onto Draco and pull him with her to safety. But the thing in the darkness reached him first. It's pincers sunk deep into Draco's calf, tearing through his robe with ease. The monster held tightly onto Draco's leg and dragged him along the floor with such ease that it appeared Draco was nothing more than a mere lifeless rag doll. Draco flopped uselessly along the ground, the blood from his gash being smeared across the floor. Dropping it's victim, the beast licked the blood from it's pincers, growing hungry for more. During those few seconds, Hermione tightly held onto her wand and pointed it at the creature, "IMPEDIMENTA!" The spell took instant effects and the creature's movements were in slow motion, it gave the impression of being unmoving. Knowing that the spell would not last long, Hermione darted to Draco's side. Since no healing enchantments sprung to mind, Hermione helped Draco up as fast as possible and slipped an arm around his waist for support. She then placed his arm around the back of her neck. As swiftly as they could they hurried down the hall, as far away from the monster as possible. Hermione took a moment to glance at Draco's face. His appearance was paler than usual, he was biting down hard on his bottom lip, and his expression really showed how much pain her was in, yet he did not utter a sound. She felt sorry for him. All he did was talk with her in the corridor. . . during dinner, where everyone was supposed to be. Hermione began to wonder why Draco had been there in the first place, but now wasn't the time to be thinking about that, The main concern was to put as much distance between them and the monster as possible. Hermione glimpsed quickly over her shoulder. She saw the creature's speed increase. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, her heartbeat growing faster with each second that passed. That's when she finally saw the beast properly for the first time. It was a gigantic spider with black bristly fur covering its starved, gaunt body, including its eight lanky, stick like legs. It's numerous eyes were staring hungrily after the fleeing students, while it's pincers clicked together at a snail's pace because the effects of the spell had not warn off yet. Hermione instantly recognized the creature, an acromantula. She had read about them in books, but she had never encountered one in real life before, until now. They were much more terrifying than the books described. Hermione could only begin to imagine the frightening things it was capable of, and she wasn't going to wait around to find out. Trying to speed up their pace was difficult because Draco was badly wounded. Each time he put a little amount of weight on his leg, a fresh surge of pain bolted up through his leg. It was short and sharp, but it caused him a vast amount of pain. The pair of them stumbled down a set of stairs and then down another, Draco left a trail of blood, making it easier to find them, but the scent of blood and flesh was enough to lure the beast towards them.  
  
"We've got to go faster." Hermione puffed, "The effects of the spell are probably wearing off now."  
  
Draco just nodded. He didn't dare allow himself to speak incase he yelled out in pain, he didn't want to appear weak. An angry roar echoed through the corridors. It was soon followed by the pounding of several feet, scurrying to seek out its prey. Hermione broke into a run, heaving Draco with as much strength as she could muster. But as fast as Hermione and Draco went, the enormous spider went faster and Hermione knew that eventually it would reach them. And at the worst possible moment, Draco fell.  
  
"I can't go on." He said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with agony.  
  
"Come on. You can do it." Hermione was trying to pull him up, but he just pushed her away, refusing her help. Draco's hand was clutching his injured leg, "Just go away!" He shouted, "Leave me alone!"  
  
Before Hermione could respond the horrific monster came crashing down the hallway and came to a halt a few meters away from the Gryffindor and Slytherin. Doing the only thing she could, Hermione fumbled in her pocket and drew out her wand. She stepped over Draco, her wand arm stretched forwards towards the beast. Standing protectively in front of Draco she growled, "Bring it on!" Her normal cheery brown eyes flickered with an angry fire as her Gryffindor instincts kicked in. Hermione was expecting the creature to charge and attack her but not to start- "Laughing? Are you laughing at me?" Her voice dripping with hate. The giant spider replied with a deep, hoarse, manly voice, "Ha! You, a mere human being cannot beat me! I'm far stronger than you will ever be." He continued to laugh his deep menacing laugh.  
  
Hermione took one step forward and said coolly, "I think it would be wise to not underestimate my power."  
  
This made him laugh even harder. Hermione muttered something under her breath and pointed her wand to the statue just behind the spider. A flash of yellow light bounded across the hall and struck the statue accurately on the chest. An explosion sent small chunks of the statue flying in every direction. His laughter faltered and then stopped completely. A thick cloud of gray dust surrounded the three of them. After the big bang there was silence except for the sound of Draco coughing. As the dust settled, Hermione was still standing firmly, her wand pointing threateningly at the beast before her. Everyone's attention was drawn to the remains of the statue, which wasn't much. All that was left was a pile of grey dust, rubble, and a few small pieces of statue.  
  
"Who are you?" His harsh voice cut through the air.  
  
Hermione gave him a piercing stare, "I am Hermione Granger." Her eyes still fixed unblinkingly on him.  
  
All this time Draco had just been gawking helplessly as the scene unfolded. He had dragged himself to the nearest wall and slumped against it. He couldn't believe what was happening. First of all an oversize spider appears from nowhere and attacks him, then he gets help from a Gryffindor trying to escape, and now this! Hermione Granger standing there actually protecting him! "What's happening? Am I dreaming?" He thought to himself. His leg injury still hurt him greatly, but by now he had been using most of his energy to try and block out the pain.  
  
"And who are you?" Hermione's voice stopping his train of thoughts, "And what is your business here?"  
  
"I am Azmordes. I have been banished from the depths of the forest by my family and friends. All I search for is for food." He stepped closer, but Hermione did not flinch, "And I do believe I have found it." And with that he leapt forward, his pincers gleaming in the moonlight.  
  
"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled the first thing to come to her mind. Azmordes looked a tad bit dazed, but still bounded forward.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione waved her wand professionally, knocking the starving spider backwards. Trying to position herself in a better dueling stance, Azmordes gained an advantage and knocked Hermione over.  
  
A shriek escaped from Hermione's lips, panic flashed in her eyes, but left as quickly as it came. "Expelliarmus!" Azmordes slammed against the wall Hermione tried to lift her wand arm, but she couldn't. In the vicious attack Azmordes had injured Hermione's arm.  
  
"No!" Hermione said in a desperate voice. She grabbed the wand with her left hand and began to wave her wand around wildly, not used to the feeling. For a fleeting second Hermione remembered back to her first year when Ron was attempting the levitating charm, and like she was now, had started to swish his wand around violently. *SMACK* Hermione was now the one who was sent flying and crashed into the wall, further hurting her right arm. Draco, who was close by, forced himself to Hermione's side and grabbed her wand and spoke a spell Hermione had never heard before. Black light seeped from her wand and struck Azmordes. This enchantment greatly weakened Azmordes, but it also drained the remaining power of Draco, who was struggling to keep consciousness. But even after an assault like that, Azmordes still was determined to claim his meal. He lurched forward and trod intentionally on Hermione's damaged arm. Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes, she did not want to give him the satisfaction of screaming out in pain. He stepped back and smiled widely, showing his pincers. Hermione knew this was it. She turned to Draco and whispered, "Thank you and I'm sorry." Draco looked at Hermione like she was insane. Here they both were, about to be killed, and here was Hermione apologizing to him!  
  
Azmordes's words echoed through the halls, "Good bye Hermione Granger."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
And yes that is where I leave you. I didn't want to leave it there, but in this case I hope you'll come back to find out what happens to Hermione and Draco. I know that 'IMPEDIMENTA' is actually a freezing charm but Azmordes is very powerful and the spell just slows him down, just to clear that up in case you were wondering.  
  
Slim-Shady's-Modeling-Baby: "Easy Tiger, I expect dinner and a movie first." That was my favourite part too. I just had to add that in =)  
  
kiki-0303: Now you know what the monster is. I thought I should use an Aragog spider dude cause I thought it would be wicked. That's why this chapter is delayed, because my friends and I were busy trying to find a name for the Spawn of Aragog, as I liked to called it, but every now and then I would accidently say 'Spawn of Aragorn'.  
  
Lavon: Finally added this chapter. From now on I'm just gonna go straight ahead and type them. It will be a lot quicker that way.  
  
FoXyRoXiE: Did I tell you you were one of my favourite reviewers? Skiing was brill, once I got the hang of it again. The 'Easy Tiger' part was one of my favourite parts too. Thanks for liking my chapters. I personally am not too fond of this chapter, it's worse than the rest. But since the rest of my story is kinda good it all balances out. I swear you compliment me way too much :D  
  
Starfruit: Yes I am evil, EVIL! Muh ha ha ha! Isn't it weird that evil spelt backwards is live. It's just really weird. Us vampires must unite together!  
  
Baby T: hehe, thanks. Thanks so so so much for the review. I'll try and update sooner. 


	5. Chapter 5: Midnight Feast

*~* To Love a Malfoy *~*  
  
Chapter 5: Midnight Feast  
  
Azmordes' final words rung in her head: "Goodbye Hermione Granger." Closing her eyes tightly, Hermione tried not to show how scared she was. Tears where forming in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "Goodbye." She said simply. A cruel laugh filled her ears, as she felt him edging closer. She even thought she heard Draco groan an "I'm sorry" but she wasn't sure. The feeling of Azmordes' hot breath on her face made a sickening sensation develop in her stomach. His breath was rancid, completely nauseating. His pincers sunk into her leg, causing the tears that were welling up in her eyes to trickle down her cheeks. She reached out and grabbed something, just to hold onto and to squeeze, so she could forget about the pain. Her left hand finding Draco's.  
  
"STOP!"  
  
Footsteps, she could hear footsteps. Feet pounding on the cold hard floor, running towards her. Relief seeped through her body, but a part of her knew that they would suffer the same fate she had.  
  
"RUN AWAY!" She choked out, "SAVE YOURSELF!"  
  
But the footsteps came closer. Even with her eyes closed, Hermione saw a blinding flash of light in front of her. She felt Azmordes slump lifelessly onto her leg, his pincers still deep within her flesh. His body weighing down on her, crushing her legs, caused more tears to creep down Hermione's already tear stained face.  
  
"Help me get it off her!" A familiar voice ordered. Hermione heard another person making small squeaking noises, as if in fear. When the weight was removed from her legs she opened her brown eyes, still filled with tears. They blurred her vision but she saw a pair of sparkling green eyes.  
  
"Harry?" He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It's going to be ok, you're going to be alright." He replied.  
  
Turning her head to the right she saw the black shape of Azmordes' body. Next to it recognized the red hair of Ron, who was kicking the spider. Ron shrieked in fear when one of Azmordes' legs fell onto him.  
  
"Ron? Harry? How did you know?" But before Harry could reply, Hermione's eyes closed again and her head drooped to one side, unconscious.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Shut up Ron! You're going to wake her up."  
  
"She's been asleep for three days already, I'm sure it won't matter if she woke up now. I mean, she's slept for three days! THREE!"  
  
"Yeah, she's RECOVERING!"  
  
"THREE DAYS OF SLEEP!"  
  
Hermione slowly opened up her eyes to find Ron and Harry on each side of her. Ron was holding up three fingers whilst Harry was eying Ron with annoyance. Hermione let out a small cough to indicate that she was awake.  
  
"Hermione!" Chorused Ron and Harry happily.  
  
"You're awake! How are you feeling?" Ron placed a hand on Hermione's in concern. She smiled. "I've been better." She lifted up her right arm, "Feels a bit stiff. How am I going to write?" Worried filled her eyes. "I'm going to fall behind with my school work and then I'll fail and then I'll..." Harry covered her mouth with his hand, "Relax. You not well. You're recovering." At the last word he shot Ron a glance. "Just relax."  
  
"Besides," Ron grinned, "Any homework you have to catch up on we collected." He indicated to a small pile of parchment and books on her nightstand. Also on her nightstand was a packet of chocolate frogs, a couple of cupcakes courtesy of Hagrid, and at least 3 or 4 get well cards. Reaching over, Hermione picked up a couple of papers, "Potions, transfiguration, charms." She leafed through the parchment, "Divination?! RON!" He snatched back the parchment, "There's no harm in trying." He grinned sheepishly.  
  
"What else have I missed?" Hermione inquired.  
  
"Let's see now." Ron screwed up his brow in thought, "You missed Neville accidentally setting Snape's robes on fire." Harry let out a laugh, "I can't believe you missed that. Poor Neville got detention for a week." Ron coughed and brought the attention back to him, "Fang launched himself at Goyle during Care of Magical Creatures because he had been tempting him with a chocolate frog and then ate it himself and finally...erm. someone got their hands on Mrs. Norris and changed her a few different colours, quite an improvement might I add. So Filch is prowling the corridors accusing each passing student of vandalizing his cat."  
  
Hermione couldn't help but let out a giggle. Then she thought she heard a laugh coming from her right, but all she saw was Draco supposedly coughing. She had completely forgotten about Draco. She glanced at his nightstand, which was bare. No get well cards, no presents. Hermione felt a little bit sorry for him.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"Time that your visitors left and allowed me to treat my patients." Madam Pomfrey came bustling in and grabbed Ron and Harry's arms. "Out, out! She needs her rest."  
  
"She's had three days!" Rona argued holding up three fingers again.  
  
"OUT!" Madam Pomfrey commanded, pushing them forcefully through the hospital wing doors. "Now. Miss Granger, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Fine thank you Madam Pomfrey, my right arm is just a little stiff but I'm sure it will go away. My leg aches a little too." Hermione responded.  
  
Madam Pomfrey surveyed Hermione with a thoughtful glance. "Hmm. Yes, yes. I shall be keeping you and Mister Malfoy in the hospital wing overnight just to make sure your both fully fit."  
  
Hermione smiled sweetly, "Thank you Madam Pomfrey."  
  
"In the mean time, eat some chocolate, that'll keep you feeling well." With that she left the room, muttering about noisy, disrespectful visitors.  
  
The final rays of lights danced in through the window, making Hermione experience a wave of tiredness. With a final glance at Draco, she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Being wrapped up in these blankets were getting too warm for Hermione. She kicked them off and lay in her bed. "I think I'll get some fresh air or something." She muttered to herself. She slipped out of the hospital bed and tiptoed across the cool floor. There was one giant window near her bed, which allowed in vast amounts of pale moonlight. Just as she was about to climb onto the windowsill she stopped, "Draco?"  
  
The figure quickly turned his head, "Huh? What?" The luminosity of the moon made Draco's hair shimmer in the night. Hermione felt quite awkward standing there, "Erm, how are you feeling? How's your leg?" Draco raised an eyebrow confusedly, "I ..I feel fine." He retorted cautiously. Why was she being nice to him? His questioning grey eyes pierced through Hermione's affectionate brown ones. What was she up to? Maybe she was trying to get something. It all seemed a little suspicious. "What do you want?" He asked slowly. Whatever he was expecting it wasn't for her to laugh. "What?!" He growled angrily. "I'm sorry." She chuckled, "I don't want anything. I'm just being friendly. You should try it sometime." Hermione covered her mouth and continued to laugh. "I can be nice if I wanted to." He replied smugly. "Really now?" Hermione said, not fully believing him. "Wait one moment." She disappeared into the darkness and emerged a moment later holding 2 chocolate frogs. "Scoot over." She demanded. Hermione wasn't fully sure why she was acting like this, but she thought if she was forced to be in the hospital with Malfoy she might as well be civil to him.  
  
Still not fully trusting Hermione, he reluctantly agreed and shifted his legs. Hermione settled herself cross-legged next to him. She held out her hand, containing a chocolate frog. He reached out to grab it, but then stopped, quickly retracting his hand. "It's not poison you know." Hermione rolled her eyes. Draco let out an annoyed grunt and snatched up the chocolate frog, "What are you up to Granger?" "Oh come on Malfoy! If we're going to be stuck with each other for the night we might as well be friendly? You know, nice." She said the last word slowly, as if he were a toddler only just starting to speak. "Stop that Granger, I do know the meaning of the word." "Really? Don't seem like it." Draco took a bite out of his chocolate frog and huffed. "I'm not expected to be nice." "Well try, because I can make this night hell for you." Draco looked very aggravated, yet somehow he liked the way she was acting. Draco raised his hand to his mouth as if to cough, then quickly said something. "What?" She raised her eyebrows, "What did you say?" "I said..." He sighed, he might as well say it, "Thanks, for what you did." Draco was of course referring to helping him up and for standing over him, protecting him. "Oh, that." Hermione looked out the window, "Anybody would have done the same thing." "Not really, but yeah, thanks anyway." There was an awkward pause as the two just sat there, munching on their chocolate frog. She flicked her eyes to Draco, who was watching the starry night. Wait a minute, Hermione had just remembered something quite peculiar. "Malfoy...erm I mean Draco," Might as well call him by his first name she thought, "What were you doing in the corridor? Why weren't you at dinner like everyone else?" "Oh that, I wasn't really hungry. Plus Crabbe and Goyle were getting on my nerves." He said, still looking outside. Hermione continued to watch him, somehow she felt that that really didn't seem all that believable. Draco hopped down from the windowsill, "I'm off to bed, thanks for the chocolate frog Granger. Good night." And with that he walked into the shadows, the pitter-patter of his feet cutting the silence. Hermione just watched after him. She stayed watching out of the window for what seemed like an age. Only when she heard Draco's faint snores did she return to her own bed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
First of all I would like to apologize for taking AGES to write this chapter...but. now it's up and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Heh, reviews are always welcome :D *hint hint* I highly recommend that you check out my friend's fanfic: To Bewitch the Mind It is damn fantastic :D 


	6. Chapter 6: Teenage life isn’t easy

*~* To Love a Malfoy *~*  
  
Chapter 6: Teenage life isn't easy  
  
The sunlight filtered in through the hospital wing window and danced upon Hermione's face. She slowly opened up her eyes and greeted the morning light with a smile. She rolled over on her side, hoping to see Draco, but his bed was already neatly made.  
  
"Hmm, I guess he must have woke up quite a while ago." She said to herself. Flicking her eyes to the bedside table beside her, she noticed a few things missing.  
  
"Oh Malfoy the git! He took a few of my chocolate frogs." She cursed with amusement. Reaching over she grabbed one of the remaining chocolate frogs and began to debate whether to eat it now or not.  
  
As she was just about to have a bite, Harry and Ron entered with big smiles.  
  
"Good morning my lady." Ron gave Hermione a mock bow. Harry snatched the chocolate frog from Hermione's grasp. "No chocolate for breakfast." Ron took the frog from Harry and started to munch on it. "Then why is he allowed to eat it?" She countered. "Because." He continued to chomp on the chocolate, "I'm special." Hermione rolled her eyes and grinned, "Yeah, that's what they say to everyone in the physiatrists ward at St.Mungo's." "Hey!" Ron snapped back with a playful frown. Harry reached towards Hermione's supply of sweets, "May I?" "Sure go ahead she nodded.  
  
"Erm.what day is it today anyway?" Hermione asked, a pink tinge appeared in her cheeks. She felt a bit stupid not knowing such a simple thing, even though she had been sleeping for three days, as she had heard Ron clearly pointing that out yesterday. Giggling quietly to herself at the memory, she looked up at the boys, awaiting a reply. "Lucky for you it's Saturday." Hermione sighed with relief at the answer. "Great," she pulled the blankets off herself, "Do you mind if I change now, and I'll meet you in the Great Hall for breakfast in about 15 minutes?" "Yeah sure, no problems."  
  
Harry and Ron waved goodbye and left the hospital wing, to Madam Pomfrey's delight. She tended to Hermione, "It's very nice when patients get visitors, it cheers them up so much. Don't you agree?" Hermione gave her a friendly smile, "Yes, I always enjoy when Harry and Ron come. though sometimes I would be a little reluctant to let them see me." Her mind wandered to the incident in their second year, with the polyjuice potion, which had resulted in her acquiring a tail, fur and whiskers. After getting the all clear from Madam Pomfrey, Hermione pulled on her clothes and made herself presentable. With a last attempt to tame her hair, Hermione began to stroll towards the Great Hall. Already she could hear the chatter and laughter filling the corridors form the other students eating breakfast. She was just about to push the door fully open, but then stopped as the recollection of a few days before entered her mind.  
  
*~*~*~*She heard laughter. Deciding to take a peek, Hermione tiptoed to the ajar door, which wasn't really necessary because the pupils excited chatter filled the air. Hermione saw that most of the Gryffindor table was laughing, "Probably about me!" *~*~*~*  
  
The last three words echoed in her head, etching themselves in her mind. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she remembered why; that incident in history class, her saying his name. Of all the people, it had to be his, it had to be him, it had to be. Malfoy. The tears began to fall, cascading down her face. She allowed the tears of unhappiness to flow freely down her cheek, not making any effort to stop them. Hermione broke out into a run, blindly sprinting towards the Gryffindor common room. She had been this way many times before that her feet knew instinctively where to go.  
  
Through her sobs she quietly spoke the password, "Lion heart." The pink lady looked at the Gryffindor in concern, "Is everything alright dear?" Hermione wiped away her tears, but it was pointless as they still continued to flow like a waterfall. "I'm fine." She lied. "If you say so dear." The portrait swung open to reveal the home of the mighty Gryffindor's. Hermione whispered thanks under her breath as she hurried through the empty room and towards her room.  
  
It was early in the morning so a few girls were still in bed, snoring away. Hermione just dropped onto her bed and closed the curtains carefully as she continued to weep silently. She buried her face into her pillow, allowing it to soak up her tears. Many questions twirled around in her brain. Why Malfoy? That was the main question really, why him of all people. Hermione hated him, or at least she thought she did. He hadn't really bothered her, well, apart from the fact that he called her a mudblood and believed that she was of a lower status then pureblood wizards like himself. Hermione began to feel very annoyed at his arrogance. How dare he think that he was better then her, just because he was a full wizard. The tears that now streamed down her face were that of anger, and not of sadness. An extreme hatred boiled up inside of her, as she clenched onto her pillow. She wanted revenge. She wanted to show him what it was like. But as Hermione began to think of events of the past, her anger disappeared. "I saved his life." She said quietly to herself. "I saved his life, so now he owes me. He's in MY debt." She began to smile to herself. "Maybe now he won't be so mean and horrible anymore. Besides, last night in the hospital wing wasn't that bad, he was.dare I say it, actually quite nice, though somewhat distant." Hermione continued to whisper to herself.  
  
She rolled over onto her back and stretched her arms towards the top of her bed. She idly traced her finger along the grain of the wood for about 5 minutes or so. As Lavender grunted in her sleep, Hermione let out a little giggle. Laughter. Hermione frowned once more. She had remembered why she had come up here in the first place. They laughed at her. Wasn't it bad enough that she had actually said his name, no, MOANED his name out loud? Did they have to be so cruel and cold hearted by joking about it behind her back.  
  
Ripping back her scarlet bed curtains, Hermione determined marched out through the portrait entrance and headed towards the Great Hall. She planned to give Harry and Ron a piece of her mind. Laughing at her, HA they'll regret it. After forcefully shoving open the Great Hall door she zoned in on Harry and Ron who were at the far side of the Gryffindor table by themselves. Striding forwards with fury filling her senses, she prepared to tell them exactly what she thought. But as she neared them, Hermione weakened a little. After all, they were her friends; maybe she shouldn't be too hard on them. But then that rage flamed up inside of her again as she realized, they WERE her friends and that they shouldn't laugh at her.  
  
"Harry! Ron!" She snapped, slamming her fist down on the table to make sure she had their attention. They both looked up at her, looking slightly baffled. "I want a word with you!" Hermione demanded, not even giving them a chance to speak. "That night that I was attacked by Azmordez, remember at dinner time. I know what happened. I saw you! How could you?!"  
  
"How could we what?" Ron asked, spreading some butter on his toast. Hermione blinked at him. "What are you playing at? How dare you treat this as if it was nothing more then a mere stroll in the woods!"  
  
Harry reached forwards and took hold of Hermione's arm, "Sit down, and tell us about it." Hermione thudded down on the bench and crossed her arms with frustration. "I saw you all laughing. I knew you were all laughing at me. I said his name ok. I said that stupid ferret's name. But how dare you laugh and taunt me behind my back! I thought you were my friends." Tears once again found their way into her eyes. "I though you were my friends" She repeated quietly, and turned her head, too disgusted to even look at them.  
  
Harry pulled Hermione into a hug, but she struggled to get free, but then gave up as she noticed her wasn't going to stop. "We weren't laughing at you Hermione." The tears in her eyes glistened, "Really?" Harry let go of Hermione and looked into her eyes, "We weren't laughing at you. I promise." Hermione wiped away her tears. Harry smiled at her, "Actually, we were laughing at what Neville did. Because that's the day he set Snape's robes alight." At this Ron began to choke on his toast, he usually left Harry to deal with "touchy feely things" like this as he called it. "That was brilliant Hermione, I can't believe you missed that. It was so funny. You should have seen Neville's face. No no, you should have seen Snape's face. Priceless!" Ron gazed at the ceiling with a dreamy smile as he recalled the incident with great fondness. "For as long as I live I will never ever forget that." His face split into a grin, "And I won't forget Moody turning Malfoy into a ferret!" The golden trio cracked up with laughter. Ron was laughing so hard that he fell to the ground gasping for breath while Harry clutched onto his ribs, not knowing whether to continue laughing or stop due to the pain.  
  
Malfoy had heard them and walked by with his head held up high, strutting past with an air of confidence. He gave them an icy stare, but his glares softened when his eyes fell onto Hermione. Ever since she had saved his life, he just couldn't find any reason to hate her or be mean to her. He felt disgusted with himself, she was nothing more then a mere mudblood, that should have been a good enough reason to torture her, yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. Why? He was a Malfoy, a pureblood; they prided themselves on their reputation. 100% pure wizard blood ran through his veins, she was nothing compared to him, just filth. But now, ever since that run in with Azmordez, the roles had been reversed. She was now his superior, Draco was beneath her and for some strange reason, he didn't mind.  
  
Finally realizing that he had stopped and was staring at the Gryffindors, Draco swished around and headed towards the Slytherin table, seating himself with a scowl on his face. That feeling of dishonour flooded though his whole body. How could he betray the family name like this? Only he knew what was going on, about the fact that he just couldn't bully Hermione anymore. He felt so ashamed, but somehow, a part of him was trying to block out the shame and guilt, trying to make him feel good about himself. All these overwhelming feelings clouded his mind, just swirling round in his head. Man how he hated being a teenager.  
  
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YAY another chapter finally up!!! FINALLY being the main word there. I was thinking about having a mailing list. you know where I alert you when I've added a new chapter? What do you think? I don't exactly have them up on a regular basis or all that quickly. So. if your interested e-mail me at gummy_bear09@hotmail.com. Don't forget to review and tell me how to improve and what parts you liked best! ^__^ 


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